Three Charges - Electric Field Question

In summary, the conversation discusses the placement of fixed charges Qc and -Qc on the x-axis and a third charge Qb at the origin. A particle with charge q and mass m is placed on the y-axis and released, with no gravity present. The initial acceleration of the particle is calculated to be 238.19m/s^2 in the x-direction and 44.95m/s^2 in the y-direction. The magnitude of the net electric force on the particle at its point of release is found to be 1.4543N, using the force components calculated in part a.
  • #1
r34racer01
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Two charges Qc and -Qc (Qc = 7 µC) are fixed on the x-axis at x = -6 cm and x = 6 cm, respectively. A third charge Qb = 1 µC is fixed at the origin.

A particle with charge q = 0.3 µC and mass m = 6 g is placed on the y-axis at y = 10 cm and released. There is no gravity.

(a) Calculate the initial acceleration of the particle.
ax = 238.19m/s^2
ay = 44.95m/s^2
(b) What was the magnitude of the net electric force on q at its point of release?
F = ?N


F = kQq/r^2 E = F/q = KQ/r^2

Ok so the first part wasn't bad. I just figured out what directions the Coulomb force vectors would be in for eack force, and then resolved thos into their x and y components, summed them and then set them equal to m*a and got
ax = 238.19m/s^2 and ay = 44.95m/s^2

Now part b is where I'm getting really stuck. The electric field vectors point in the same direction as the coulomb force vectors, so I basically did the same as above.

E(Qb) = k(1e-6) / 0.1^2 = 899000
E(Qc) = k(7e-6) / 0.1166^2 = 4628717.02
E(Qc)x = 2381887.8 E(Qc)y = 3968832.6
E(Q-c) = k(-7e-6) / 0.1166^2 = -4628717.02
E(Q-c)x = 2381887.8 E(Q-c)y = -3968832.6

The The Qc y components should cancel out and its x components will basically double so then the answer should be F = sqrt( 899000^2 + (2*2381887.8)^2) = 4847859.7N
But that's not the right answer. Can someone PLEASE HELP!
 

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  • #2
In your solution to part a, you must have first calculated the force components before computing the acceleration. Why not use those results to find the magnitude of the force? (Note that part b asks for the electric force, not the electric field.)
 
  • #3
Doc Al said:
In your solution to part a, you must have first calculated the force components before computing the acceleration. Why not use those results to find the magnitude of the force? (Note that part b asks for the electric force, not the electric field.)

Oh man I can't believe I made that mistake, that means I had the answer days ago. Thanks you so much Doc Al, I would have never noticed that, the answer turned out to be 1.4543N if anyone was wondering.
 

1. What is an electric field?

An electric field is a region of space around a charged object where a force can be exerted on another charged object. This force is known as an electrostatic force.

2. How do three charges affect the electric field?

The electric field produced by three charges can be calculated by using the principle of superposition, which states that the electric field at a point is the sum of the electric fields produced by each individual charge.

3. What is the equation for calculating the electric field due to three charges?

The equation for calculating the electric field due to three charges is given by: E = k * (q1/r1^2 + q2/r2^2 + q3/r3^2), where k is the Coulomb's constant, q1, q2, and q3 are the charges of the three charges, and r1, r2, and r3 are the distances from the respective charges to the point where the electric field is being calculated.

4. How does the direction of the electric field change with three charges?

The direction of the electric field at a point due to three charges is determined by the direction of the force on a positive test charge placed at that point. The electric field lines point away from positive charges and towards negative charges.

5. How can the strength of the electric field be changed with three charges?

The strength of the electric field due to three charges can be changed by altering the magnitudes of the charges or the distances between the charges and the point where the electric field is being calculated. The electric field will be stronger with larger charges and closer distances, and weaker with smaller charges and farther distances.

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